Hey everyone, Joe Dumas here. Eric has again been kind enough to let me cover tonight's game. Eric is currently patrolling the concourse, gathering fan opinions on fighting in the league. Alan Clark is down on the glass tonight.
Tonight's matchup should be a good one, as fans get to see yet again the NHL's two biggest sophmores, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Ovechkin sits 12th in the league in points, and 4th in scoring, while Crosby sits in first for points, and 2nd for assists. Washington's other stellar sophmore, Alexander Semin, is second on the team in scoring. Both teams also have some talented rookies. Pittsburgh's Jordan Staal leads the league in shorthanded goals(7) and shooting percentage(25.2), while Evgeni Malkin leads all rookies in goals(32), assists(48), and points(80). Washington's Tomas Fleischmann, Mike Green, and Alexandre Giroux have all made some nice contributions over the course of the season.
It's also a showdown between two teams in completely different situations. Washington is wrapping up what can be most gently described as a trying season. Statistically eliminated from playoff contention a few weeks ago, they are playing the rest of their season for pride. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is battling New Jersey for the top record in the Atlantic Division and home-ice advantage in the playoffs. Last time these teams met here, Pittsburgh came back from a 4-0 deficit to win in a shootout. The Penguins also won both of their meetings in Pittsburgh, so they're looking for the season series sweep tonight. But Washington has done a decent job with their role as underdogs, so expect them to give Pittsburgh a tough time.
First Period: WSH 2, PIT 1 Washington jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead thanks to some nifty plays. Semin
